Tag: Live mint

Context: India’s air quality has been diminishing on the back of urban development and higher e-commerce adoption, among other factors. The cost of this progress means some of our large Indian cities figure among the world’s most polluted. Citizens’ right to clean breathable air is a fundamental need and is a critical parameter in global… Continue reading Let commercial vehicles take the lead in going electric

News: The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework may be an opportunity for India’s integration with global supply chains and trade flows. But the US must put global aims above its home politics. Contents1 Why India should join IPEF?2 What does the IPEF entail?3 What are some concerns that India must consider?4 Way forward Why India should join IPEF?… Continue reading The IPEF could offer us a boat we must not miss

Context: India’s debate on the need and feasibility of a universal basic income (UBI) as an elementary safety net for all our citizens was revived again after the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister released a report on inequality. Regardless of divisions in opinion over the poverty levels in the country, inequality demands a… Continue reading Time for us to work out a universal basic income

Context: India is a federal structure with a unitary bias. The Constitution strikes a balance between popular will, exercised by the Lok Sabha, and the interests of states through the Rajya Sabha. But, we have allowed popular fashions and political exigencies to undermine the federal structure. What are the various states’ concerns? Delimitation exercises have… Continue reading A Rajya Sabha rebalance must go with Lok Sabha expansion

News: According to Bloomberg News, the US is considering a $500 million defense package for India to finance the purchase of US weapon systems. According to Researchers at the Stimson Center, 85% of India’s weapons are of Russian origin. Further, in the next 5 years, Russian arms export to India will increase. India showed its… Continue reading Indigenous weapons will have to wean India off Russian arms

News: Recently, Bihar’s Bhojpur district court was in the news. It delivered a judgement on a land dispute case filed in 1914 which is 108 years ago, making it one of the oldest cases in the country. What are the findings about the pendency of cases in the lower judiciary? According to some estimates, the… Continue reading Judicial delays and the need for intervention at the district level

News: At present, India’s economic policymakers are trying to look after potential stagflation.   Possible long-term strategies for high, employment-intensive growth Three broad groups of states are identifiable, each with a distinct development model.   Bihar model Coverage:  The model is generally found in a group of the least developed states which includes Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam… Continue reading Three development models that can guide Indian state economies 

Context: In a sudden move, the central government banned the export of wheat on 13th May, a day after retail inflation numbers for April were released. It was wheat inflation at 9.6% that triggered this panic reaction. None of it was unexpected, given the trend so far. The Food and Agriculture Organisation food index has… Continue reading Frequent policy flip-flops are bad for farmers as well as consumers

News: India is facing severe heat waves in many parts of the country. This is a reminder that the risks from climate change are rising.   What are the issues involved in transition towards a green economy?  Around a fifth of Indian households have access to either air-conditioners or coolers in their home. Nearly half of… Continue reading Needed: An economic response plan for a green transition shock